Dork Adore » Comics

Before Watchmen: the comic book prequel no one wants

Charles — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:00:50 +0000

It’s always a bad sign when your press release launching a new project includes an apology for the existence of the project.

DC Comics’ announcement that it plans to publish 35 new Watchmen comics this year, 25 years after the original 12-issue series blew the doors off the entire super-hero genre, has a number of implied apologies in it.

It probably needs to. The original Watchmen is an untouchable work of brilliance. Its level of influence cannot be over-stated. From my point of view, and of many other comic fans who’ve responded vocally to the news, any new Watchmen material cannot possibly be as good as the original, especially with no involvement from original writer Alan Moore.

So, with no obvious artistic reason to tell new stories, the assumption, which is implicitly confirmed in the announcement’s talk of DC’s “responsibility as publishers”, is that this is a naked cash-grab driven by purely commercial concerns.

For me, it’s the nature of the new story DC plans to tell that leaves a sour taste and confirms that the project is exactly what its detractors say it is.

Because Before Watchmen is a prequel, offering additional background and filling in the blanks left in the original series. This may sound reasonable enough, but only if you haven’t read Watchmen.

Moore and artist Dave Gibbons’ original graphic novel has the legendary status it does for many reasons – its redefinition of a genre, its memorable characters and its laser-targeted Cold War commentary. But another reason is its clockwork-like plot – each character’s background is meticulously set out, intersecting with one another at key points and adding up to a multi-layered, satisfying story.

In other words, there is no meaningful extra background to be offered, and there are no blanks to fill in. Even Gibbons says in the press release:

“the original series of Watchmen is the complete story that Alan Moore and I wanted to tell”.

Rorschach not working hard enough

I understand DC’s dilemma, commercially. They can’t publish a sequel to the story, because it would be so radically different to the original. It would have to be – characters’ trajectories are hugely altered by the end of Watchmen, some terminally. So you’d have to come up with a whole new story, including new characters, and a new creative vision of what the world of Watchmen might be like 25 years on.

But if you do that you don’t have Rorschach, Dr Manhattan, Nite Owl and the rest in their familiar milieu, with their familiar costumes, which casual fans are familiar with from the film and might be interested in paying money for.

And that’s the problem – this isn’t about someone having a great idea for a Watchmen story and being allowed to tell it. It’s about sweating properties. “We own this Rorschach character; what’s he done for us lately? How have we developed him as a going concern? Where are the new merchandising opportunities for him?”

(All of which would be less galling were it not for the fact that the original Watchmen contains a lengthy text piece skewering development and marketing of super-hero properties).

DC’s argument (implied apologetically in that triumph of a press release) is: how is that different from all our other characters? How many people have written Batman over the years? We own the characters! This is how this industry works!

And the answer is: because no Batman comic has ever been on TIME‘s 100 greatest novels of the 20^th century list (that’s novels, not graphic novels), or equivalent.

Watchmen’s achievement was that it transcended comics. Many people who’ve never read another super-hero comic have read it and admired it for the towering literary achievement it is. And I don’t think it’s unfair to suggest that different rules come into play. Sometimes, something is just special and should be allowed to stand alone, without being watered down and re-hashed. Frankly, Watchmen‘s been re-hashed enough in the last 25 years’ worth of super-hero comics as it is.

I’m sure Before Watchmen (which will be three times as long as the series it is acting as a prequel to) will be nicely written and drawn. DC has enlisted top creators to work on it. If someone had to write a new Rorschach series, better that it’s Brian Azzarello than someone with no talent.

But its existence highlights how little chance there is of DC ever getting another graphic novel into any sort of mainstream literary Top 100 list – because it shows, yet again, that they regard the intellectual property as everything, the actual creative work and the creator as unimportant.

Alan Moore scoffs

Watchmen is work of genius because Alan Moore is a maverick genius. There are no other reasons. His scornful response to the news of the prequel was that DC is “still apparently dependent on ideas I had 25 years ago”. And, in typical style, he’s got the heart of my negative feelings about Before Watchmen.

Because they aren’t based on any kind of outrage on behalf of Moore. The original Watchmen was work for hire; he’s never owned it or the characters. DC has offered him many opportunities to write a prequel, or sequel, or whatever he wanted, which he’s turned down.

The problem, as Moore articulates so pitilessly, is that DC’s approach is regressive, about protecting commercial assets, rather than about fostering new creativity or attempting to produce something else as game-changing for the industry as Watchmen was 25 years ago.

DC’s investment in Before Watchmen would be better used in taking a chance on some other genius with an unrelated project to pitch. But what we’ll get instead is diminishing returns that leave a massive doubt over the company’s remaining ability or desire to push its medium forward creatively.

Further Reading:

DC Comics announces Before Watchmen

Brett White: In defence of Before Watchmen

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Make your own Iron Man, Thor and Captain America cakes!

Emma Cossey — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 09:00:30 +0000

I love cake. Who doesn’t? And I have a soft spot for Marvel movies (yeah, even Thor. For very, very shallow reasons). So this Marvel Cakelet pan is right up my street.

This cake pan has moulds for three of the characters from next year’s mega-movie, The Avengers, (Iron Man, Thor and Captain America), so it would be great for a bit of comic book-inspired afternoon tea before you hit the cinema. All you need is a bit of practice with an icing bag.

You can get the Marvel Cakelet pan from Williams Sonoma for £25.45.

The bad news is, it’s not eligible for international shipping, so you might want to get a kind friend in the USA to ship it over to you.

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Five things we love this week

Emma Cossey — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:45:28 +0000

The internet has been really rather wonderful this week. Here are five things we’ve spotted that you’ll love.

Marvel Super-hoodies

As a general rule, I’m not the biggest fan of hoodies. But I’ll make an exception for these Marvel Superhero hoodies. The two Spider-man designs and the Captain America version are $49.99 from ThinkGeek.

Alternion
Alternion is a busy geek’s saviour. It brings together multiple email accounts, 220+ social networks and your Twitter and Facebook feeds in one web-based app. I particularly love the fact that they’re so quick to turn around any features you’ve requested. Plus you can only check your emails 50 times a day, which means in theory that you’ll spend less time hitting F5 on your email. Sign up for a beta invitation here.

T-Mobile Angry Birds
We like Angry Birds (especially Angry Birds soft toy patterns) . And we like clever videos that combine technology with real life situations. So we really love this video from T-Mobile (y’know, the guys who came up with the Royal Wedding dance spoof and those flash mob videos?) of the real-life Angry Birds.

Quirky

Quirky is an online community that ‘makes inventing accessible’. People submit invention suggestions, and the community can then discuss and vote on whether the suggestion will make it to market. Two products are then chosen each month to reach production. You can have a peek in the shop to see what sort of things have gained the Quirky mark of approval.

Winterwell Festival

You know that thing where you find out about something really brilliant, but you’re just a smidgen too late to take advantage of this new information? That’s how I feel about the Winterwell Festival.

Taking place this weekend, the Gloucestershire festival is all about Tipis (much more glamorous than a soggy tent), unsigned-but-talented artists, a comedy tent and, best of all, a BOARD GAMES THEME! If I was able to make it, I’d totally rock up in this freaky Operation costume.

Discovered anything you think the dorks will love this week? Let us know in the comments, or send us a Tweet.

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Etsy Finds: Comic Book Capery

Michelle — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 10:00:38 +0000

In a brand new feature I will be sharing with you some of my favourite Etsy finds each week. This week I mainly have comic books on my mind as I will be heading along to the wonderful Thought Bubble Comic Con later this month. So, in honour of this amazing event I have been hunting down wonderful comic book-related items.

Kapow headband, $23 from Janine Basil

This Kapow headband from Janine Basil’s Etsy shop is quite simply genius. There is a full range of Comic Sound FX headbands available, including ones that are covered with rhinestones, not to mention one that glows in the dark. Yazooks! Quite frankly I want them all.

The shop is also worth checking out for the rather awesome mirrorball head bust that a lot of the pieces are photographed on. I want one of those too!

Captain America handknitted Meerkat, $37 from Nifty Knits

I really don’t feel there is a great deal I can say about this fella, he pretty much speaks for himself I’m sure you will agree. You can buy Captain America Meerkat, along with his friends Wolverine, Cyclops, Gambit and Rogue from the X-Men from the Nifty Knits Etsy shop.

More of a DC Comics fan? Never fear as Nifty Knits have it covered with a wide range of super hero meerkats including Batman and Robin, Superman and Wonder Woman among them.

Vintage Comic Passport Case, $12.50 from Bookity

Your passport need never be naked again! Not when you can dress it up in this fabulous passport wallet made from a vintage comic.

Throw on your stetson and mosey on over to the Bookity Etsy shop right now cowboy. Or for those of you who are full of gung-ho and daring-do you might prefer the Red Falcons fight the Air Smugglers version.

Superhero Notebook, $35 from Bombus

I have a whole pile of notebooks but I would happily add this wonderful hardback Superhero Notebookfrom the Bombus Etsy shop to my collection.

The notebooks are customisable so you can choose the superhero that you think most reflects your personality. Who would you be?

Prof Brian Cox Rocks Necklace, $12 from Polka Dot Emporium

Not technically comic book related but Lynn, the lovely lady behind Polka Dot Emporium, is actually going to be selling her wares at Thought Bubble so I will get the chance to check them out in person!

If you are not so lucky, you can get your mitts on this Prof Brian Cox Rocks necklace from the Polka Dot Emporium Etsy shop.

Now it is worth noting that although I shall tend to feature UK-based makers, shop local and all that malarkey, all Etsy pricing is in US dollars. I seem to recall they had a handy currency conversion function at some point recently but it seems to have vanished again.

What is the very best piece of comic book-related makery you have ever seen or made? Why not let me know in the comments below!

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The Walking Dead: Days Gone Bye – Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 07:59:56 +0000

Possibly the most eagerly awaited TV series debut of the year, certainly in dork circles, it’s The Walking Dead. Based on the popular Image Comics series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard, it’s a classic zombie apocalypse chronicle.

And with showrunning by Frank Darabont (him of The Shawshank Redemption), the TV series itself has a decent pedigree as well. So the ingredients are certainly there, as well as the crushing weight of anticipation. And now that we’ve seen the first episode, how was it?

A Horrific Direction

What I didn’t quite expect from this series was how outright creepy it was. The quiet bits were the worst part, the sheer anticipation; much classier than constant explosions of gore. Oh, and Lennie James is fabulous in his supporting role as Morgan. I loved his scenes.

The story is eloquently laid out, a lot of beautifully framed shots. With a renowned director like Darabont at the helm, you might expect it, but some of them really are lovely. And it takes a lot for me to notice this stuff; as my other reviews suggest, I’m more of a writing/acting-focused critic.

But it is also properly horrible at times. Trailing intestines all over the shop. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Egg Versus Zombies

Leading the cast, and carrying the bulk of this episode, is British actor Andrew Lincoln. Known mostly for playing matey, relatable characters, he’s a stoic Southern police officer here, complete with American accent. He’s actually very good, and has the potential to be our biggest export since Hugh Laurie. The pacing is slow, reminding me of such dramas as Mad Men, but considering that’s a massive smash hit, this might be survivable.

The first episode treads a similar storyline to early issues of the comic, but does so with such atmosphere that I found myself jumping at the scary bits even when I knew roughly what was coming. It helps that although the broad outline is the same, details have changed. I didn’t appreciate it when the cat crept up on me and meowed when Rick was exploring the hospital.

Standing Alone

What’s nice is that it feels like a thorough re-purposing of the story for television. I was immersed in it again, rather than watching some rushed adaptation. Rob Hinchcliffe wrote an excellent post on why you should read the Walking Dead comics first, and I’m not indifferent to that view, but based on this pilot, the TV show might be an excellent experience on its own.

Obviously, there is a whole series to come, and Darabont isn’t writing/directing them all, but there’s huge potential in this incarnation of The Walking Dead. Highly recommended so far, in my opinion.

Do let us know if it lived up to your expectations.

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Why you shouldn’t watch The Walking Dead

Rob Hinchcliffe — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 10:18:34 +0000

Next week the television adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s epic zombie comic series, The Walking Dead, hits our screens courtesy of FX (via AMC).

You probably knew that already. You’ve probably seen the huge billboard posters with Andrew ‘Egg’ Lincoln’s stubbly, resolute face staring out of them. You’ve probably read a broadsheet article about Frank ‘Shawshank Redemption’ Darabont’s involvement with the project, and you’ve probably watched the startlingly effective trailer on YouTube (see below) and revelled in its clever use of the Walker Brothers hit ‘The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore’.

So if you know everything there is to know about the Walking Dead already, why am I writing this article? Well, I’m writing this to beg you not to watch it.

Experience the comic

Let me clarify: if you haven’t read The Walking Dead in comic form, then please, for all that is good and holy (or at least, undead and slightly mouldy), go and buy it now; hole up in a safe place with plenty of tinned food, and read it from cover to cover. Then, and only then, should you venture out into the world again to purchase the box set or watch the repeats.

Why am I saying this? Because I really, genuinely believe that if you watch the Walking Dead before you experience the comic, then you are denying yourself one of the most fantastic pop culture experiences of the past decade.

Think I’m exaggerating? Go and find someone who watched Zac Snyder’s Watchmen before they read the graphic novel. Ask them how that worked out, and remember to duck and make a note of the nearest exits as you do it.

Happily, I think The Walking Dead will make a much easier transformation to the screen than Watchmen did. Alan Moore’s superhero masterpiece was all but unfilmable (not that this stopped Snyder obviously), while Kirkman’s undead opus seems to have mirrored the ambition, scope and format of the ‘New Golden Age of Television’ (TM) that we’ve been lapping up for the past ten years, with a large cast of characters, unabashed violent imagery, unbridled swearing, and sheer unpredictability, all of which make it a cultural bedfellow of The Sopranos and Deadwood, as opposed to the blockbuster Hollywood comic adaptations like Spiderman and Batman.

Comic snob

I should emphasise here: I’m not being a comic snob. Honestly, I’m not. If I wanted to do that I could bang on about how waiting a whole month for the next issue to come out, and digesting the story over five long years is the only way to experience The Walking Dead. But that’s bollocks, so I won’t. And I won’t say that the comic is better than the TV series because it came first, or even because the comic medium is somehow inherently just ‘better’. Because that’s bollocks too.

What I will say is this: The Walking Dead is one of the finest comics I have ever read. And if the word ‘comic’ causes you problem, then let me rephrase… The Walking Dead is one of the finest stories I’ve ever read. It’s the only comic to make me physically gasp out loud as I turned the pages. I have never cared so much about comic characters as much as I have the ones Kirkman has so wonderfully created here; and the numerous narrative devices, plot twists, and heart-wrenching tension that arrive with each issue are so deftly delivered that you almost forget that there’s a zombie or two waiting to be decapitated just around the corner.

And I don’t care how carefully Darabont and co spin their celluloid, they’re never going to get close to the pure gold of the original material. And so why would you risk diluting that experience by watching the TV show first?

Go now. You have until Friday to track down at least the first trade paperback (although the Compendium Vol 1 is a very handsome volume, and a snip at £30). You won’t regret it, I promise.

Nick Bryan will be reviewing The Walking Dead for Dork Adore every week. The show starts on Friday 5th November on FX.

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Scott Pilgrim – The Comics: Dork Review

Nick Bryan — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:34:29 +0000

Scott Pilgrim, the Canadian-manga series by Bryan Lee O’Malley, has been the independent comics success story of recent years. From the first volume in 2004, momentum has steadily built until the sixth and last book in the series was released to an eager public last week.

Midnight openings, huge parties and, of course, an upcoming big budget film all sprang up around the final instalment. Thanks to the super-viral trailer for said movie, the premise of Scott Pilgrim is now familiar to many. Boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy has to fight defeat her seven evil exes to keep girl.

But why should you check out the actual comics, rather than wait for this movie to hand you the whole thing on a CGI plate?

BONUS talking, EXTRA punching

Not that the cinematic version is expected to suck. With Edgar Wright directing and an array of cool actors, it should be a massive fun injection. But although Scott Pilgrim has drawn attention for its surreal Mega Drive combat, it’s still a black and white indie comic. And what do they have? Yes, lots of talking. Really funny, insightful talking.

Not to mention smaller battles en route to the evil ex boss fights. Wright is cramming all seven of those into a single movie, so some of the little incidents are going to get cut. The comic series really is the geek equivalent of Harry Potter, and that includes the scale of the universe, the number of characters who pop in and out, living their own lives slightly off camera. It’d be a shame to miss all that.

Plus, Bryan Lee O’Malley is genuinely a great cartoonist. The first book is solid, but by the last few volumes, he’s completely in his stride, experimenting with his layouts and wringing emotion out of the poor characters. It’s part of the fun to watch his style develop through the series.

Talking ‘bout MY generation

Some have described Scott Pilgrim as “the story of a generation”, and it probably is. If you’re a confused twenty-something with vague creative aspirations, vague relationships and a general sense of vagueness, there’s a good chance you’ll take these books to heart. Even if you aren’t in this social group yourself, just knowing and loving them might be enough.

On the other hand, if you think those people should shut up, cut their hair and get a proper job, there’s a chance you may fall outside the target audience. But never mind you. Scott Pilgrim is awesome.

More Scott Pilgrim on Dork Adore | Scott Pilgrim: Knives Chau and Ramon Flowers X-Stitch

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Scott Pilgrim: Knives Chau and Ramona Flowers X-Stitch

Katie — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:00:05 +0000

Scott Pilgrim, everyone’s favourite happy-go-lucky 20-something comic book hero, will soon be with us again.

The sixth and final book — Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour — is out on the 20th July. Meanwhile, Edgar Wright’s movie – Scott Pilgrim Vs The World — will be released on 13th August.

The film stars Michael Cera as our hapless hero and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona Flowers, Pilgrim’s baggage-laden girlfriend. And of course, Ramona isn’t the only one with a selection of deranged exes: Knives Chau is Scott’s love-stricken kick-ass ex, who spends a lot of time dangerously waving aroud the torch she still carries for him.

Dork Stitch

Needle-wielder extraordinaire, Allison Bates, has done a brilliant bit of cross-stitch in homage to the lovably unhinged Knives. In fact, Allison has done all kinds of marvellous bits of geeky, pixellated cross stitch on her EXCELLENTLY named blog, Dork Stitch.

Free Patterns!

Even better, Allison takes the time to make FREE x-stitch patterns so that others may enjoy the nerdy wonders she creates.

As well as a free Knives Chau pattern, Allison has worked up a free Ramona Flowers pattern – though we’re still waiting on a photo of the finished piece.

She’s done tonnes of other dork patterns, including retro computer games characters like Hero from Dragon Quest VIII and a cross-stitch Pikachu. If you check out the categories, you’ll see all kinds of other wonderful geek fodder.

Take a look! Dork Stitch. Allison’s DeviantArt Page.

Pre-order Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour: Amazon | Signed copies on Forbidden Planet | eBay

Scott Pilgrim Comics | Scott Pilgrim The Movie | Scott Pilgrim Ning group

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Dork Review: Kick-Ass (The Comic)

Nick Bryan — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 10:40:28 +0000

On the evening of Monday 22nd March, whilst a glittering galaxy of stars attended the glittering première of the movie Kick-Ass in London, I curled up in my room and read the comic book upon which it was based. Frankly, I think we both know who wins.

Most of the time, these films are based on comic books that are at least twenty years old, which would make this a very dated review, but Kick-Ass is a special case.

Because the eighth and final issue of the series, completing the story upon which the film is based, was only released in mid-February. The graphic novel collecting the whole thing has barely been out for a fortnight. Obviously, the film has not been turned around in that time as that would leave us with something akin to a student production, possibly involving wigs.

Original Kick-Ass writer Mark Millar has been heavily involved in the film from the beginning, and (although I haven’t seen it), one presumes he’s told them what happens at the end, rather than leaving screenwriter Jane Goldman to fill in the blanks herself.

Certainly, I wouldn’t have liked her chances of guessing the ending. Although the basic premise of Kick-Ass is guttingly simple (real-life nerd tries to become superhero, gets beaten up a lot), the actual plot twists and turns viciously. Even more savage, though, is the violence that takes place along the way.

In his work with classic Marvel characters like Spider-Man and the Avengers, Mark Millar has quietly nudged up the level of violence he can get away with, but it pales in comparison compared to the blood-spurting and limb-chopping present in Kick-Ass.

It wouldn’t be quite the same, though, without John Romita Jr’s amazing art. His figures have real weight, and it makes the horrible things that happen to them all the more real. And no-one draws a truly pulverised face quite like him; the make-up artists on the movie will struggle to match it.

For those who seek an intricate character study, this series may not be for you. Kick-Ass does establish its loser-geek character, but only sufficiently to make it clear he’s way out of his depth when things get bloody. But the characters and their actions are over-the-top enough to make you say “Wow, that’s cool”, whilst still seeming real enough for us to care about the stupid things that happen to them.

In short, there’s a lot that’s cinematic to the Kick-Ass comic book series: a clear beginning, middle and end, whilst still leaving space for sequels. So perhaps it’s no surprise that it’s found its way to the movies so quickly. And, happily, thanks to Millar’s clear story-telling and Romita Jr’s career-best artwork, the comic is a perfectly good example of its own craft as well.

As long as you have a strong stomach.

Kick-Ass comic book series on Forbidden Planet

Reserve Kick-Ass on LoveFilm/Book cinema tickets

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Dork Adore » Comics

Before Watchmen: the comic book prequel no one wants

Rorschach not working hard enough

Alan Moore scoffs

More stories like this

Make your own Iron Man, Thor and Captain America cakes!

More stories like this

Five things we love this week

More stories like this

Etsy Finds: Comic Book Capery

Kapow headband, $23 from Janine Basil

Captain America handknitted Meerkat, $37 from Nifty Knits

Vintage Comic Passport Case, $12.50 from Bookity

Superhero Notebook, $35 from Bombus

Prof Brian Cox Rocks Necklace, $12 from Polka Dot Emporium

What is the very best piece of comic book-related makery you have ever seen or made? Why not let me know in the comments below!

More stories like this

The Walking Dead: Days Gone Bye – Dork Review

A Horrific Direction

Egg Versus Zombies

Standing Alone

Do let us know if it lived up to your expectations.

More stories like this

Why you shouldn’t watch The Walking Dead

Experience the comic

Comic snob

More stories like this

Scott Pilgrim – The Comics: Dork Review

BONUS talking, EXTRA punching

Talking ‘bout MY generation

More stories like this

Scott Pilgrim: Knives Chau and Ramona Flowers X-Stitch

Dork Stitch

Free Patterns!

More stories like this

Dork Review: Kick-Ass (The Comic)

More stories like this